"I think there's one I forgot to put out here," he said. "It's in the kitchen. Why don't you go get it?"
She gave him a curious look and then ran into the other room. He followed her to the doorway, happy with her scream of delight. She opened the cage and let the small puppy cover her with happy kisses.
"I can't believe you got me a dog," she said, laughing as the golden retriever squirmed in her arms.
"You told me a million times you wanted one. What are you going to name him?"
"I don't know," she said. "Is he really mine?"
"All yours. And you're going to have to learn how to feed him and give him baths, and we'll walk him together."
She set the puppy down, and the animal went skidding around the tile floor in joyous exploration. Then she ran over to him. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you, too," he said, as he wrapped her up in his arms. "Let's go open the rest of the presents. We have lots to do today."
* * *
Adrianna stared at the wild chaos of wrapping paper and ribbon spread across her apartment floor. She'd had so many quiet, somber, dark Christmases, that this one would stand out in her mind for a very long time.
"You gave them a really happy Christmas," Lindsay said as she joined her by the Christmas tree in her living room. "Ben and Sara got everything they wanted."
She smiled at the two kids who were sitting at the kitchen counter with their mother. "All they wanted was their mom."
"Becky is turning out to be a decent waitress," Lindsay said. "I wasn't sure when you first brought her into the restaurant that she would work out, but you're right. She just needed someone to give her a chance to be a good mother. And that someone was you."
"It's nice to put a family back together," she said. "I saw so many broken ones growing up, and I could never do anything about them. This time I could."
Lindsay put her arm around her shoulders. "You're a great person. I just wish you could be happy, too."
"I am happy," she said, not wanting to admit there was still a hole in her heart. She'd spoken to Wyatt only a few times in the past few months. He was busy rebuilding his family, and she couldn't blame him for that."
"You miss Wyatt."
She shrugged. "Today is not the day for being sad," she said firmly. "We need to get dressed and go to work."
"I can't believe you talked Stephan into opening the restaurant on Christmas day and into feeding the neighborhood for free."
"It was a tradition Josephine started, and one I always meant to continue if I ever ran my own restaurant, which I now do."
"And you're doing it quite well, I might add," Lindsay said.
"Thank you." Working at the restaurant had been great the past few months. She no longer had nightmares or panic attacks. She no longer saw Will on the floor by the bar. Instead she remembered the good times they'd shared.
She'd worked her ass off to make the restaurant as successful as possible, and business was booming. There was an hour wait on most weekend nights. She relished every moment of her job, and she had to admit that the work had given her less time to think about Wyatt. But days like today, he was on her mind. She wondered how he was enjoying Christmas with Stephanie.
"Hey, kids, Becky … we gotta get a move on," Lindsay said. "Boss wants us to go to work."
Adrianna smiled. "It will be fun. I promise."
Fifteen minutes later they were walking through the streets of North Beach.
It was a beautiful California Christmas morning, blue skies, temperature in the mid sixties, and a cool, crisp breeze. As they headed up the hill toward Vincenzo's, she glanced at the sweeping view, the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, and felt refreshed. This was her city, her life, and she was happy.
When they reached the square by Vincenzo's, she decided to make a small detour.
"I'll be inside in a minute," she told Lindsay. "I have to make a wish."
"Really?" Lindsay asked, with a curious smile.
"Yeah, this quarter has been burning a hole in my pocket for a long time."
She walked over to the fountain and pulled out the coin. Six months earlier, she'd wished for a way to get past her fear, to get her life back, and her coin had been knocked out of the fountain. But it hadn't mattered, because meeting Wyatt had made her wish come true.
Now, she had another wish.
As she was about to toss her coin, a man called her name.
Startled, she almost dropped her coin into the water, which would have been very anticlimactic. She managed to hang on to it, as she turned around.
"Wyatt," she said in surprise. "I can't believe you're here. Where's Stephanie?"
He tipped his head toward the front of Vincenzo's. She could see Stephanie laughing with Ben and Sara, Becky and Lindsay – and there was a puppy, too. She turned back to Wyatt. "You got a dog?"
"It was Stephanie's Christmas present," he said with a helpless shrug. "I'm a pushover."
"Yes, you are. Life has certainly changed for you."
"Yeah, my place is one noisy mess."
She saw the pure joy in his clear blue gaze and was truly happy for him. "You love it."
"I love you," he said, shocking her with the words.
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
He grinned at her. "Speechless, huh?"
"We – we haven't seen each other in months."
"But I've thought about you every day," he said, his smile turning serious. He put his hands on her arms. "I wanted to call you a hundred times, but I had to take care of Stephanie first. And I had to figure out if I could give you what you deserve. My relationship with Jen was a mess. I wasn't a good husband."
"I don't believe that."
"It's true. I made mistakes. But I don't want to talk about Jen. I want to talk about you. You inspired me, Adrianna. You kept me going when I was ready to quit. You found my daughter for me."
"We did it together."
He squeezed her arms. "I love you, Adrianna. I didn't think I could ever say that again to a woman. I didn't think I could ever put my life into someone else's hands. But you changed my mind. You and your capacity to give without taking, your kindness, your spirit, your everything."
"You're making me blush," she said, feeling not only heat in her cheeks but moisture in her eyes. "I'm not perfect."
"You're perfect for me. I trust you, Adrianna. And that's big."
She was incredibly touched. "I trust you, too, Wyatt. I haven't been able to do that with everyone. But your courage made me face my own fears, not just about the restaurant and the robbery, but about myself, about not being good enough. I know now that I am."
"You are."
She drew in a big breath. "I was afraid when I didn't hear from you that our time was up."
"I didn't want to come to you until I knew what I had to offer."
"And what's what?" she asked, her heart starting to pound.
"A life of love," he said. "With me and my daughter … and our puppy. Crazy relatives," he added. "You'll have to take my family along with me. I know you don't like cops, but I don't think I'll be quitting any time soon. I don't know how to do anything else."
She put her fingers against his mouth. "Stop. I don't hate your job anymore, and all the rest sounds pretty good. But I have to say you're getting ahead of yourself. We haven't even been on a date yet."
He laughed. "You're right. What is wrong with me? How about Friday night?"
"I think I have to work."
"I'm not going to like Chef's hours, am I?"
"Probably not. I'm free on Sunday."
"So am I," he said, smiling into her eyes. "So what do you say?"
She wanted to say yes to the date, to the life, to everything, but some small part of her was still just a tiny bit afraid that she was so close to getting everything she'd ever wanted that something was bound to go wrong.
He tilted his head, his gaze narrowing. "Why the hesitation?"
"I'm worried this
is too good to be true."
"It's not, Adrianna. We have both been through the fire, and we survived." He paused. "But I told you I wanted to be ready, and maybe you're not there yet. It hasn't been that long since Will died."
She cut him off with a shake of her head. "This isn't about Will."
"Are you sure? You were grieving when we first met."
"I love Will as a friend, but I was never in love with him. I wanted to be, but I wasn't. I've gotten past that."
"I'm glad. So go on a date with me."
She laughed. "Okay, I will go on a date with you." She pressed her fingers against his chest and kissed him.
He groaned against her lips. "Damn. You taste good, and it's been too long. You don't know how much I want to take you away right now."
She smiled. "Do you have someone who can watch Stephanie on Sunday?"
"My parents can't wait to have her spend the night with them, and it is Christmas vacation," he added, with a wicked smile.
A shiver shot down her spine, and she really wished that Sunday wasn't three days away.
Wyatt stole another kiss and said, "Were you about to make a wish?"
"Yes, I thought it was time to finally throw my coin into the fountain."
"That's the same quarter?"
She nodded. "I've been holding on to it for a long time, waiting to make just the right wish, but now I don’t need to throw it in the fountain. Because I was going to wish for you, and here you are."
"And I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm so glad."
He kissed her again and then said. "Did Lindsay tell you she invited us to Christmas lunch at the restaurant?"
"That little matchmaker," she said with a smile. "I should have seen that coming."
"She told me I should get off my ass before you found someone else."
"There was never going to be anyone else." She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. "By the way -- I love you, too."
Epilogue
June …
Adrianna pulled back the curtain covering the upstairs bedroom window at Wyatt's parents' house and glanced out the window. A dozen folding chairs had been placed on the grass in front of a gazebo, which was decorated with a multitude of colorful flowers. It was the perfect place for a wedding – her wedding.
Eleven months earlier, she'd met the man of her dreams, and now she was going to marry him. And she wasn't just getting a husband, but a little girl, an exuberant puppy, and a family who overwhelmed her with love. She'd come a very long way from her lonely teenage days where she'd had no one to count on but herself.
As she watched the crowd milling about below, she saw Stephanie in her pretty pink dress chasing the puppy around the yard with Sara and Ben. All the kids were doing well now. Becky continued to work at the restaurant and was making enough money to rent a small apartment. They'd become good friends over the past year. Adrianna hoped it would stay that way. She'd come to realize that her past made her the perfect person to reach out to those in need. She'd been so busy trying to outrun the insecure, scared child she'd once been, that she hadn't seen the opportunity to use what she'd learned and help other people. Now, it was very clear. And a lot of that was due to Wyatt.
The man had quite simply become her everything -- her best friend and her lover -- and soon to be her husband.
She let the curtain drop as Lindsay entered the room with two glasses of champagne.
"Almost time," Lindsay said with a big smile. "Are you nervous?"
"Surprisingly, no," she said.
"That's because you're doing the right thing." She handed Adrianna a glass. "To you – and your happiness."
They clinked glasses, and she took a sip of the bubbly liquid.
"Hey, drink up," Lindsay said.
"I can't," she told her.
Confusion and then awareness flashed in Lindsay's eyes. "Oh, my God, are you?"
She nodded. "I am."
Lindsay grabbed her glass and set it down on the table alongside hers and gave Adrianna a hug. "Congratulations."
"Thanks, no one else knows."
"Not even Wyatt?"
She shook her head. "I'm going to tell him tonight."
"He may love you even more – if that's possible," she said dryly.
"I hope so," she said with a mischievous smile. "He's very good at the love stuff."
"Now, you're going to tell me about your sex life? So I can be even more jealous of you?"
"Your time will come."
"I'm not worried. Unlike you, I'm still enjoying my single life."
As Lindsay finished speaking, the door opened again, and Summer entered with Stephanie. Summer wore a dark pink bridesmaid gown that coordinated well with Stephanie's pink flower-girl dress.
"Are you ready?" Adrianna asked Stephanie.
"Yes," Stephanie said, holding up her basket of petals. "Grandma showed me how to throw them."
"I'm sure you'll do a great job," she said.
"Adrianna," Stephanie said slowly.
She saw the nervousness in Steph's eyes and offered a smile. "Everything okay?"
"Do you want me to call you, Mom?"
Adrianna's breath caught in her chest. Jen was still in jail, but she and Stephanie continued to correspond with Wyatt's blessing. Jen had shown some remorse for what she'd done, but Adrianna doubted they would ever be able to completely trust her. But nothing would ever change the fact that she was Stephanie's mother and always would be.
"You can call me whatever you want," she said. "Adrianna is fine."
"Okay," she said with relief. "I'm glad you're marrying Daddy. He really likes you."
The other women laughed at Stephanie's innocent words.
"I like him, too," she told her.
"I think it's time for us to go," Summer said.
Lindsay handed her the bouquet, and they made their way down the stairs and out to the yard. When they reached the back deck, the music began to play, and Stephanie, Summer and finally Lindsay made their way down the short aisle.
Adrianna stood alone, feeling quite comfortable by herself. She had no one to give her away, but that was all right. Because she was giving herself away – to the man she loved.
As she started her walk, her gaze locked with Wyatt's, and she saw in his expression the promise of a lifetime of love. She had never been more certain of the path she was taking.
When she reached his side, they joined hands. He looked down at her and said, "I love you."
"I love you, too," she said.
The minister interrupted them. "I didn't get to that part yet."
They looked at each other and laughed. Wyatt said, "Sorry, I couldn't wait."
"Me, either," Adrianna said.
"Shall I start now?" the minister asked.
"One second," Adrianna said.
For a split second, Wyatt looked nervous. "Everything okay?"
"I finally threw my coin into the fountain last month, and my wish came true. I'm pregnant, Wyatt. We're having a baby."
A wide grin spread across his lips. "Are you serious?"
"Are you happy?" she countered
"Happier than I've ever been in my life. I'm never letting you go, Adrianna. I will fight for you and support you and love you every day of my life. I promise you that."
Her eyes blurred with tears. "And I'll do the same."
"I don't think you two need me at all," the minister joked.
"We just need each other," she said.
Wyatt sealed her words with a kiss.
THE END
If you enjoyed, WHEN WISHES COLLIDE, don't miss the first two books in the WISH SERIES, A SECRET WISH and JUST A WISH AWAY, now available.
Continue reading for an excerpt from JUST A WISH AWAY …
EXCERPT - JUST A WISH AWAY
@Copyright 2012 – Barbara Freethy
All Rights Reserved
Prologue
Fifteen years earlier …
"Race you t
o Dragon Rock," Braden Elliott challenged.
Twelve-year-old Alexa Parker barely heard him. Her attention was focused on the pile of pebbles and shells that had washed ashore. She was looking for tiny shards of sea glass or mermaid tears, as the locals called them. The Sand Harbor Beach on the coast of Washington State was known for the glass that the sea tossed up after years of being tumbled and turned by the waves and the salt water, finally landing on the sand as beautiful, colorful gems. When she grew up, she wanted to become a glassmaker, turn all those broken pieces into something amazing.
"Come on, Alexa," Braden urged.
She looked up at him, her determination wavering as she stared into his beautiful green eyes, that sometimes reminded her of the glass she collected. Braden had grown three inches over the summer, now towering over her at nearly six feet. His brown hair was thick and wavy and messed up by the wind. He was so cute; sometimes she just couldn't stop looking at him.
They'd known each other since they were ten, but this was the first summer she'd looked at him as more than just a friend. In fact, her stomach did a little flip flop every time he smiled at her. She didn't really know what to do about her new feelings. Part of her wanted to say something and the other part of her was just too scared. A couple of her friends had boyfriends, but she wasn't sure she was ready, and she only saw Braden in the summer.
While Braden lived at Sand Harbor year round, she only came for holidays and summers. Every June, she and her mom packed up the car and left Seattle to stay with her Aunt Phoebe at the beach. Her dad would come down on Thursdays and take long weekends in July and August. It was the perfect way to spend the summer.
She'd met some of Braden's Sand Harbor friends over the years, but when she was in town it was mostly just the two of them. They would meet up every morning on their bikes and take off to explore one of the three beaches that dotted the coastline. They'd search for sea glass, fly kites, build sand castles and make up stories about the people who vacationed in the big houses along the bluff. Sand Harbor was a quiet fishing village in the winter, but in summer, the town filled up with tourists and celebrities looking for a summer escape. Every year there seemed to be new houses being built along the bluffs.
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